Health Library

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• Blood Glucose Record

  If your child has diabetes, you can use this printable sheet to record his or her blood glucose levels.

• Managing Home Health Care

  When kids need intensive health care after they're discharged from the hospital, family and caregivers should learn about the devices, equipment, and support they'll need.

• Clinical Trials

  Deciding to enroll your child in a clinical study will depend on its potential benefits and risks, as well as your child's particular illness. Learn more.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe and painless test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the body's organs and structures.

• ECG (Electrocardiogram)

  Is your child scheduled to have an ECG? Find out how this test is performed and when you can expect the results.

• Blood Test: Valproic Acid

  Doctors may order a blood test for valproic acid, an anticonvulsant drug prescribed mainly to prevent seizures, to see how the liver is processing the medicine.

• Blood Test: Prothrombin Time (PT)

  Doctors may order a PT test as part of an evaluation for a bleeding disorder or to monitor the effects of blood-thinning medicine.

• Blood Test: Magnesium

  Doctors do this test to assess blood levels of magnesium, which helps the muscles and nerves function, the heart maintain normal rhythm, the bones stay strong, and the body process energy and make proteins.

• Blood Test: Glucose

  The blood glucose test, which measures the amount of sugar in the blood, may be done as part of a routine physical or to help diagnose diabetes.

• Blood Test: Hemoglobin

  Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells. A hemoglobin test can be done as part of a routine checkup to screen for problems and or because a child isn't feeling well.

• Blood Test: C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

  A C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test is used to identify inflammation or infection in the body.

• Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor

  When kids know they're "going to the doctor," they might wonder about the visit. Here's how to prepare them.

• How to Shop for Health Insurance

  The government's healthcare marketplace, or exchange, is the new way to shop for health insurance. But just how do you find the best coverage and sign up? Get answers here.

• A to Z: Atresia

  Learn about congenital defects and conditions that affect vessels, valves, and passages in the heart and other organs.

• Getting Teens Involved in Their Health Care

  Involving teens in their health care can help prepare them for managing it on their own as adults.

• Balancing Schoolwork and Hospital Stays

  When your child has a serious or chronic illness, it's hard to think beyond the next treatment. But with some planning, you can help your child balance schoolwork with hospital stays.

• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

  Some kids may be eligible for individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge. Understanding how to access these services can help you be an effective advocate for your child.

• 504 Education Plans

  Kids who have special needs in the classroom may be eligible for a government-supported learning plan.

• Financial Planning for Kids With Disabilities

  These steps can help take the anxiety and worry out of your child's financial future and make sure that your child will be taken care of even after you're gone.

• Strength Training

  With a properly designed and supervised program, strength training can be a fun way for kids to build healthy muscles, joints, and bones.

• Fitness for Kids Who Don’t Like Sports

  Some kids aren't natural athletes and they may say they just don't like sports. What then?

• Kids and Exercise

  Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who are physically fit are better able to handle physical and emotional challenges.

• Fitness and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old

  School-age kids need physical activity to build strength, coordination, confidence, and to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle.

• Fitness and Your 3- to 5-Year-Old

  Take advantage of your child's natural tendency to be active. Staying fit can help improve kids' self-esteem and decrease the risk of serious illnesses later in life.

• Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old

  Kids this age are naturally active, so be sure to provide lots of opportunities for your child to practice basic skills, such as running, kicking, and throwing.

• Fitness and Your 13- to 18-Year-Old

  Kids who enjoy exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. Learn how to encourage fitness in your teen.

• Your Child’s Weight

  "What's the right weight for my child?" is one of the most common questions parents have. It seems like a simple one, but it's not always easy to answer.

• Healthy Eating

  Good nutrition and a balanced diet help kids grow up healthy. Here's how to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits.

• Carbohydrates and Sugar

  Carbs are the body's most important and readily available source of energy. The key is to eat healthy ones, like whole grains, and avoid foods with added sugar.

• Fats

  Some fats are good for kids and an important part of a healthy diet. Here's what parents should know.

• Caffeine

  Caffeine is in many foods and drinks, but it's wise to keep caffeine consumption to a minimum, especially in younger kids. Here's why.

• How Can I Find a New Doctor for My Child?

  Find out what the experts say.

• Blood Test: Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT)

  A partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test is used to evaluate blood's ability to clot. It may be done as part of an evaluation for a bleeding disorder or to monitor the effects of blood-thinning medicine.

• Blood Test: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

  An erythrocyte sedimentation rate test (ESR) detects inflammation that may be caused by infection and some autoimmune diseases.

• Helping Kids Get Ready for Surgery

  Kids who will be having surgery may feel stressed about it. Here's how parents can help them.

• How to Take Your Child’s Pulse

  Need to check your child's heart rate? Follow our guide and check with your doctor if you have questions.

• Ventricular Assist Device

  A ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump that takes over for the heart and pumps blood. This can give a weak or injured heart time to heal or support someone as they wait for a heart transplant.

• What’s Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)? (Video)

  Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a problem that happens when the left side of a baby’s heart doesn't form as it should. It’s smaller than normal and can’t pump enough blood to the body. After the baby is born, doctors can treat the problem with medicines and several surgeries.

• What Is a Cardiac Catheterization? (Video)

  A cardiac catheterization is a procedure that cardiologists (heart doctors) do. They put a catheter (a long, thin tube) into a blood vessel, then guide it the heart. Cardiac catheterizations help doctors diagnose and treat many different heart problems.

• Single Ventricle Defects

  Usually, a heart has two working ventricles (pumping chambers). Having a single ventricle means that only one of the two ventricles works well enough to pump blood.

• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

  Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect of a baby’s heart. The left side of the heart doesn’t grow as it should, making it smaller and weaker than normal.

• Heart Transplant

  If your child needs a heart transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo heart transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives.

• Heart and Circulatory System

  The heart and circulatory system are our body's lifeline, delivering blood to the body's tissues. Brush up on your ticker with this body basics article.

• Cardiac Catheterization

  This minimally invasive procedure helps doctors perform diagnostic tests on the heart and even treat some heart conditions.

• Aortic Stenosis

  Aortic stenosis means the aortic valve is too small, narrow, or stiff. Many people have no symptoms, but kids with more severe cases will need surgery so that blood flows properly through the body.

• Teaching Your Child How to Swallow Pills

  Swallowing a pill is something that many of us take for granted. But just like any skill, learning to swallow a pill takes practice.